With a large number of seniors living in nursing homes and other assisted living facilities facing potential infection from the COVID-19 Omicron variant, AARP Louisiana State Director, Denise Bottcher, is calling for immediate action to get residents and staff vaccinated and boosted. Bottcher says there were over 100 confirmed COVID cases among staff in the first two weeks of January and over 50 residents tested positive.
“The rate of new infections in nursing home residents who have received a booster dose is more than 90-percent lower than residents who were not fully vaccinated,” said Bottcher.
Bottcher says only 12-percent of direct care staff at Louisiana nursing homes have received a booster.
“Families who have loved ones in using homes need to know that, they need to know what the vaccination rate, including that booster, is for the nursing home staff that are taking care of their loved one,” said Bottcher.
The AARP has been following CDC data closely, and Bottcher sees a straight line between vaccination and boosters to lower spikes among nursing home residents.
“The difference between these numbers that we are seeing now, compared to other surges we’re seeing the vaccination plus booster has really protected long-term residents,” said Bottcher.
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